Archives West Finding Aid

The Elizabeth Curtis Wright Papers offer some of the more reflective documents produced by a foreign missionary woman. The collection contains her memoirs, published in 1973 that recount her missionary career. Also included is a manuscript in typed and handwritten form entitled "History of the Missionary Church in China." The hand-written version was composed on the back of a variety of documents researchers may find useful, including a 1954 roster of members of the "Peking Union Church Reunion," memorials to foreign missionary women, and newsletters recounting the church activities overseas or discussing church finances. The Wright Papers include a 1929 manuscript entitled "The Christmas Season in Far-away China" and a 1950s manuscript on the imprisonment of Sara Perkins by the communist government entitled "Notes on Sara Perkins." Wright also authored a short story entitled "Chang su Hsien's Winter Vacation." In it she recounted the dangers some of the students courted during holidays. Wright used this anecdote to encourage further support for overseas missions.

Also included is a large cartoon map of Beijing intended to be a humorous commentary on welfare in the city. It is undated and no author is listed; it is entitled "Welfare Map of Peiping."

For more information on missionary women who resided in China during the same period as Wright, see the collections of Myra Snow (A 186), Myra Jaquet (A 180), and Edith Shufeldt (A 208) all of whom also resided in Tientsin (Tianjin). See also the collection of Elsie Reik (A 166) and Edith Simister (A183) who lived in Foochow (Fuzhou); or the collection of Clara Dyer (A 198) who was a resident of Ch'iangli. These collections are also housed in Special Collections & University Archives at the University of Oregon.